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N. PETERS, PHOYO LITHOGRA WASHINGTON, D C.

@titled gaat@ @tutti @Wina WILLIAM CfHORNFAGE-R AND EDMOND A. WARREN. OFBRUOKLYN,

' NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 101,463, dated April 5, 1870.

'The Schedule referred to 'in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom lt may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM C. Heinemann4 and EDMOND A. WARREN, both of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reclining-Chairs; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which make part thereof, and in which- Figure l represents a view in perspective of a chair embracing our improvements.

Figure 2 represents a vertical transverse section of the same.

Figure 3 represents a similar section, the chair being shown iu the position it assumes when used as a reclining-couch.

Figure 4 represents a view in perspective of the under side of the front hinged section of the chairseat, showing also the extensible foot-rest plate.

Figure 5 represents a sectional view of one of the sliding operating-arms, with its ratchet-locking pawl.

Our invention relates to the construction of a chair in such manner that the occupant can place himself in any desired reclining position best adapted to com-- fort, ease, and sleep.

In the accompanying drawings- A represents the seat, which may be made of any convenient size, and supported upon a frame, B, of any suitable construction.

The sides of this frame are elevated above the seat, so as to form ways, C, upon which the arms D may slide.

The back E of the chair is connected, by a hinge, a, to the rear of the seat-frame A, and to the front thereof is also connected, by means of a hinge, b, a section or plate, F, upholstered to correspond with the seat.

The back Eand hinged front section Fare connected to each other, so that the movement of the former will control that ot' the latter, and so that the act of reclining the back will bring the front section F into a line with the top of the seat A, and thus form an extensible seat, as shown in lig. 3.

The connection of these parts is effected by means of a rock-shaft, G, secured in bearings in the frame transversely beneath the seat, carrying at each end a vertical arm, H, which are secured by links 'I to the front ends of. the sliding arms D of the chair, while the rear ends of these sliding arms are connected to the back E of the chair by means of pivoted links J near the hinge a of said back.

From the middle of the transverse rock-shaft G depends another arm, K, of a length about twice that of those, H, on either end of said rockshaft; and this downward-projecting arm K is connected, by means of alink, L, pivoted to its under side, to the front extensible section F.

The movement of the front section F and back E is effected simultaneously' through the aforesaid arms and links by means of the sliding arms D.

These arms are recessed on their under sides, as shown at c, lig. 1, and provided with tongues d, which fit over and embrace corresponding lips or tongues, e, on the top of the sides of the chair, so as to lock them thereto, and to serve as ways, over which 'the armrests can be moved back and forth.

In placing the chair in a reclining position, these arms D are moved rearward, and drawn toward the front, when the back E is elevated, and the front section F correspondingly depressed.

These arms D are locked to the side frames C of the chair, in whatever position they may be adjusted, by means of ratchet pawls, f, inclosed within cases in the outer ends of said arms, so as to bite into ratchetteeth formed on the top of the ways on which the arms rest, as shown morel clearly in fig. 5.

The ratchet-pawls f are operated by means of milled head-knobs h, and extend rearward, so that, when interlocked with the teeth g, they prevent the sliding arms D from moving backward, so that the back of the chair and the front hinged section can be locked thereby at any desired angle with the seat.

In drawing thearms D forward, to adjust the parts as a common chair, these pawls f move freely over the ratchet-teeth g.

The arms H K and links I J L are so proportioned and hinged to each other and to the sliding arms D as to produce the requisite movement to the several parts without the least binding, and so that the front hinged section F will assume a position parallel to the main seat A, 4while the back E maintains a slight inclination thereto, and, when the back is entirely elevated, the front hinged section will also assume a nearly vertical position at the front of the chair, as shown in figs. 1 and 2.

In order to still further increase the extensible ca pacity of the chair, I secure a plate, M, to the front hinged section F, so as to slide in ways, on the under side thereof, and provided at its front edge with a ledge, j, which tits against the front edge of the hinged section F, and serves as the means of extending this plate M by the occupant placing his heels against it and forcing it out, so that it becomes a foot-rest, and a reclining-couch is obtained for the entire length of the body.

A ratchet-rack, N, is arranged on the under sideof this foot-plate M, into which a weighted pawl, 0, bites,

secured to the under side of the front hinged section F, so as to hold the plate against the action of a spring, P, to whatever position it maybe pushed out.

This spring P is connected to the front section F, and to the foot-rest plate M, so that it constantly tends to draw the latter inward, which is accomplished by simply raising the weighted arm Q of the ratchet-pawl, said extension foot-rest plate having a slot, R, to allow it to pass over the hinge of' the connecting-link L, as shown in g. 4.

The spring may be made of any suitable material,

and of any desired form.

The chair maybe upholstered in any suitable manner, and of any desirable form, and is admirably adapted for railroad cars by its ready conversion into a sleeping-conch, and may .be secured permanently to the floor thereof.

In order to convert the chairinto a reclining-conch, the occupant need only turn the two knobs 71, so as to disengage the pawls f from the ratchet-racks g, and, leaning backward, place his feet also against the lip j of the extension slide M, and thus push ont the latter to the' required length, and the hinged back and section to the required inclination.

1n resuming a sitting position, the occupant raises the weighted arm Q of the ratchet-pawl O, so as to unlock the extensible plate M, and allow it to be drawn in. Then, moving the arms D forward with his hands, the hinged back and front =section F are are constructed and arranged to operate as herein del scribed, for the purpose specified.

2. The extension foot-rest plate M, provided with the ratchet-raek N, weighted ratchet-pawl O O, and spring P, in combination with the hinged front section F, as herein described, for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM C. HORNFAGER. E'DMOND A. WARREN.

Witnesses W. S. HORNFAGER, A. E. H. JOHNSON. 

